Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Tim Doner - Futo Anyoji
When I saw Timothy Doner have a talk about language for TEDxTeen in 2014 entitled “Breaking the language barrier”, not only his confident attitude while talking but also a wise sayings he cited seemed powerful and impressive to me. It is Nelson Mandela that Doner quoted from. Mandela said that “if you talk to a man in a language he understands that goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his language that goes to his heart.” This may contain what Doner thinks language is all about. As he refers in his speech he believes learning language is not just memorizing words or expressions but knowing cultural backgrounds, thought, mindsets or opening “up your mind to the idea language in its sense, in essence, represents a cultural worldview. It is rather notable as it can be connected with the idea that a language which is on the verge of death means a unique perspective on the world is being lost. Doner may be seriously concerned about it, concluding “you can translate words easily but you can’t quite translate meanings.”
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I'm impressed with your way of expanding what you have seen and heard.
ReplyDeleteIt's good for me to know the saying.
I can totally relate to you saying it is good to know about the sayings as they contain truth to a certain extent, I think.
DeleteI admire you that you think further...I watched the same video but it never occured to me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think you organised his thought about languages very well, and I was impressed by your using the phrase "on the verge of", because for me it's hard to use it.
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence “you can translate words easily but you can’t quite translate meanings.”, That's definitely right but I think it's not familiar with most of us. We should pass on about this to the other.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we are not familiar with language enough to translating meanings, learning language is not killing language at all. On the contrary it widen you point of view, which means you inherit a cultural way of thinking to some extent. It is good enough to help language last.
DeleteYour post reminds me how important it is for me as a 'Pakeha' New Zealander to learn Maori. That way I will be able to better understand the culture and perpesctives of NZ's indigenous people.
ReplyDeleteDavid :-)